The Mathematics Community Unites to Focus on Global Issues

The International Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013 (MPE2013) initiative was formally launched today at the Winter Meeting of the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). In the coming year, mathematical institutes and research networks across Canada and around the world will focus on problems ranging from the control of epidemics, future of fisheries, and protection of biodiversity to climate change.

“Mathematics touches every aspect of our lives and underpins the science that helps us understand how everything around us works”, noted Christiane Rousseau, Vice-President of the International Mathematical Union and former president of the CMS. Rousseau, a professor of mathematics at the University of Montreal, had the idea of organizing a special year back in 2009 when she was Director of Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (CRM). She brought North American institutes on board before reaching out across the globe. “My dream is now shared by so many scientists around the world that MPE2013 is developing on its own. This unprecedented collaboration will last past 2013. But time is pressing for the planet and mathematicians have to get more involved.” “Mathematicians set up sophisticated models, that can be dynamical, differential or probabilistic, that usually rely on hundreds of year of fundamental research and, in collaboration with researchers from other fields, they adapt them to make predictions et to simulate control strategies,” said François Lalonde, Director of the CRM. “MPE2013 is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce our collaborations with our Quebec, Canadian and international partners. “

Under the patronage of UNESCO, the MPE initiative brings together over 100 scientific societies, universities, research institutes, and foundations from around the world to research fundamental questions about planet Earth, nurture a better understanding of global issues, and help inform the public about the essential mathematics of the challenges facing our planet. The year-long MPE initiative is expected to develop the mathematics that is fundamental to the understanding of the dynamic processes that sustain our planet earth. Whether dealing with the geophysical issues of our earth, the atmospheric issues of our weather, the biological issues of our species, or our human everyday issues, it is the mathematics that underpins our understanding and, in turn, our advancement. The Director-General of UNESCO, Irena Bokova, said, “UNESCO strongly supports this extraordinary collaboration of mathematicians around the world to advance research on fundamental questions about planet Earth, to nurture a better understanding of global issues, to help inform the public, and to enrich the school curriculum about the essential role of mathematics in the challenges facing our planet.”

“By focusing on the role mathematical sciences play on our Earth, we will be able to encourage research that will help address the issues that affect us all,” Rousseau said. “That is why the MPE 2013 initiative will highlight and showcase the contribution mathematics makes to the decisions surrounding the critical issues we face globally.”